The mailing list from ASDf giving people a daily digest of new forum posts has over ten thousand members.

We have no way of knowing how many RSS subscriptions hit the site, because that isn't counted, but it is in the tens of thousands per day. We know that from the amount of Internet traffic the host reports.

You'll need to keep off the internet altogether Dobbie. I don't know of a website where RSS feeds don't happen, or where posts can't be linked to on other sites. You'd be amazed at what you can pick up and follow in feeds from a whole variety of sites. The only part of this site we've boxed off is the private forum - see me, not my illness. It was important to have that space. ASDf is considerably safer than FB as you can anonymise what is posted - and that's something we've always recommended.

Back in 2008-9 your T&C when you joined did mention the Twitter feed - that's been off more recently as it's been inactive. It was explicit, and you can't blame anyone else if you didn't read them.

I have no strong feelings over the Twitter account, but I'd be very glad to have your input on how ASDf can have a voice in the wider autism world if you dislike this one so much.

You'll need to keep off the internet altogether Dobbie. I don't know of a website where RSS feeds don't happen, or where posts can't be linked to on other sites. You'd be amazed at what you can pick up and follow in feeds from a whole variety of sites. The only part of this site we've boxed off is the private forum - see me, not my illness. It was important to have that space. ASDf is considerably safer than FB as you can anonymise what is posted - and that's something we've always recommended.

Back in 2008-9 your T&C when you joined did mention the Twitter feed - that's been off more recently as it's been inactive. It was explicit, and you can't blame anyone else if you didn't read them.

I have no strong feelings over the Twitter account, but I'd be very glad to have your input on how ASDf can have a voice in the wider autism world if you dislike this one so much.

Miss Mac, I didn't say it was anyone's fault.

JR - I'm not asking you to 'turn off the publicity'.

My FB account is locked down (and I only have 50 or so friends) and I know who it was who 'leaked' my comment to school.

I also know how the whole internet 'thing' works.

I suppose it's a realisation, after recent events, that anyone who wants to see the info I've posted ANYWHERE online, can do so and that's scary.

As a person with Aspergers, I have these moments and it's obviously something I will have to work through and accept - or not.

Whenever I post anything on the internet I'm aware that there is no such thing as 'private'. I've learnt the hard way - once there were quite nasty consequences over something I wrote in a private email which one of the recipients decided to share but without the context of the email. I'm much more guarded about what I say as I don't feel I can fully trust anyone anymore.

This forum is public though, so I would be doubly careful about the information I give out. For instance, I was reading all the public posts for several weeks before joining and posting myself. I reached here after a recommendation for a friend but I'm sure there are plenty of people who happen across the site in other ways. And isn't that what the site is all about? The Twitter feed will be another way to reach out to people who perhaps are also struggling and would benefit from the support and information here.

Seriously, Dobbie, if that's the issue then the Twitter feed is the safest place for your comments!

Facebook is read by your friends.

I would be genuinely sorry to see anyone leave over this but...

ASDf provides significant support to a lot of people. Just look at the membership count to see how many.

If we turned off all the publicity now, then we would effectively be telling all potential future membership that they are not welcome.

I'm not prepared to do that.

Everyone knows that ASDf is a public domain discussion forum, and that ten years of conversations can be searched in microseconds using Google.

I have always agreed to posting on the forum in the full knowledge that it is full public and 'searchable' across the internet. I fully signed up to the T&Cs
I also love FB!
There's much about me out there which is fully accessible to anyone!

I like that the 'see me not my illness' is slightly more private!

But I choose not publish by ASDF statuses on FB , and I choose not to publish my ASDF threads directly onto Twitter, which I'm thinking that means that I must choose not to ever start a thread now ? Is that right?

I really am in favour of publicity and getting the ASDF word out there - thank God for it I say.
It's just my personal choice against Twitter. I use twitter differently, more personally ! And I wish the twitter account wasn't a direct link to threads, but more about general comments, with links only to the front page, that other tweeters could just comment on.